Will the new Govt shelve Auckland's roading projects?

  • 22/10/2017

A group representing road carriers is hopeful Auckland transport projects promised by the outgoing Government will go ahead under the new coalition.

Labour wants to scale back the controversial and expensive East West Link, a four-lane road between Onehunga and Mt Wellington slated to cost $327 million per kilometre.

The Greens have pledged to pull the plug on the $1.8 billion project.

National Road Carriers Association spokesman David Aitken says the Waterview Connection in Mt Albert has made Auckland drivers happy, and so will other projects like the East West Link.

"They're noticing there's less traffic, and any gain in time and less congestion on the motorways and arterial roads has to see improvements in productivity and more freight being delivered," he told Newshub.

NZTA says the four-month old Waterview Tunnel has shaved 20 minutes off travel time from the Southern Motorway to the CBD. More than 400,000 vehicles use the tunnel a week, and 6.6 million trips have been recorded July 2 when it opened.

Mr Aitken says it's just the start.

All three coalition parties campaigned on more heavy and light rail transport for the super city. Mr Aitken says it's important, but just a part of the key to improving Auckland's transport network.  

"We don't want to see some of these major projects stalled or stopped, all for the sake of politics."

A board of inquiry is considering public feedback on the East West Link and will release a decision on the project's fate in November - at least that was the plan before National lost the election.

Newshub.